Method of manufacturing flexible posts



May 5, 1931; Q R 1,804,134

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FLEXIBLE POSTS Filed Dec. 27, 1927 Hnllum Ilillllllllll "i g Hmllllllllmlllll v Poul I I/YVL'IVTOR Patented May 5,193i UNITED STATES PATENT PAUL O. UN'GER OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,ASSIGNORZ TO MCMILLAN BOOK COMIFAINY,

OF SYRACUSE; NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD FMANUFACTURING-FLEXIBLE POSTS Application fi1ed'Deoen1ber27, 12.27.Se-ria-l- No. 2&742.

. Thisinvention relates tofl new and proved method .-f manufacturingflexible posts: with particular reference to flexible posts; which areused in. loose leaf binders. posts for use in binders to which looseleaves be added and from which looseleaves may' be taken if desiredarepreferahly cylindrical in. shape, and should present a smooth anduniform surface throughout their lengths in order that the individlialileaves: may not become caught between the links. and may be. movedfreely along the-posts.

Heretofore such flexible posts have been manufactured by working tocompletion the individuai and then joining them together in .acontinuous post. by means of rivets. In: this, method of manufacture itis very diflicult, if not impossible, tov prodnce av post which doesnot.present rough spots: and even surfaces throughout its length.

The. object of my invention is. to provide. a method whereby flexibleposts may be manufactured in a way which will insure that the: finishedpost is: smooth and uniform throughout its length and that each postmanufactured by this method will be alt-facsimile of other: postsmanufactured by this: method.

Other objects .and advantages relate to the: size, shape arrangements ofparts and the difierent operations performed to. produce the finishedarticle, all as will more any appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which I I Figure lis. a perspective view partially broken away of the raw stock from whic'the article is made.

Figure 2 is a perspective view partially broken away showing the rawstock after the first. manufacturing operation has' been performedvFigure 3 isa perspective view partially brokenaway' of the structureshown in Figure: 2 after the second manufacturing operation beenperformed.

4 is a perspective. view of an individual link made by thev secondmanufacturing operation.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of alink after the third manufacturingoperation has been performed. 7

Figure 6 is a perspective: view of. a link after the fourthmanufacturing operation has been performed.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a pintle used in assembling thestructure.

Figure 8: is a perspective view of a series of links assembled:- bymeans. of pintleshorvn in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of my fin ished flexible post.

Figure 10 is a section on line --1 O.1kO.-- of Figure 9.

The raw stock 1- from which my device is constructed consists of a stripof steel or other appropriate material rec.- tangular in cross section.I first form this raw stock --l to produce a tongue. 2- along oneof thenarrower longitudinal edges and a corresponding groove. 3- along theopposite longitudinal edge, the width and height of the tongue be ingthe same or slightly less than the width and depth of the groove 3 sothat the tongue -2 will fit into the groovev -3.- a manner hereinafterto. be described.

I then divide the bar 1 transversely as shown in Figure 8 to. obtain aplurality of links 4 which are similar in size and shape.

Each link -4 is then subjected to an operation whereby one end of theton we 2 is. rounded offlas shown at 5 in igure .5 and the correspondingends of the ears, l.() and -];lof the groove 3 arerounded off as shownat 7 and 6. in Figure 5.. A hole 8 is then formed through tongue 4.adjacent the. rounded end 5.., Another hole 9 similar in size to hole 8-is then formed in one of the ears 10 of the groove -3 and ispositionedin the same. relationto end -7 as hole -8- bears to end -5.-.The opposite ear l1- is provided with a hole -l2- having the same axisas hole -9-- but being slightly smaller in diameter. 1

then form a pintle 13- with one end 141 of a size and shape to fit holes8 and 9- and extend through groove 3- and with the opposite end l5 of aproper size and shape to fit hole -12.

I then assemble my links -i in the manner shown in Figure 8 where thetongue 2 of a link fits into the groove -3- of the adjacent link withthe rounded ends 5, 6, and 7 in the same plane. I then fasten links eL-to one another by means of pintles -13-, said pintles passing throughhole 9 in one ear of groove -8- then through hole 8 in a tongue -2 whichis inserted into a groove 3- and thence through hole -12 in the oppositecar .11 of groove 3,. The reduced ends 15 of pintle 13- are then upsetas shown at 16 in Figure 10 to fix the pintles l3 in position.

' The use of .pintles 13 of this design is advantageous in that when thepintles are in position the large end 14 can not enter hole l2 and it istherefore only necessary to upset the small end 15- in order to fastenthe pintle in position.

' I then take the assembled series of links 4 as shown in Figure 8 andfashion them by any suitable cutting or grinding tool into a cylindricalform uniform throughout its length as shown in Figure 9.

The ends 6, 6 and 7 are rounded so that one link may be turned upon theadjacent link in. turn and the whole post bent as desired. Theoffsetting of pintle 13- towards the rounded ends 5, 6 and 7 is notnecessary but it is desirable because it permits the turning of one linkwith reference to another at a sharper angle. The ends opposite to therounded ends 5, 6 and 7 not being rounded and the pintle l5 being offsettowards the rounded ends 5, 6 and 7 it is not possible to flex the postin the direction opposite the rounded ends 5, 6 and 7, and this isdesirable because in posts of this character when sheets are in positionin the binder it is easier to manipulate the binder if the posts can beflexed in only one direction.

The final operation which makes my flexible post into a cylindricalshape being done after the links are assembled in the proper relationand fastened together by the pintles insures that the whole postthroughout its length will be of a smooth and uniform cylindrical shapeand that no rough spots from any of the upset heads l6- of the pintle18- in any individual link will be found and the post will be smooth anduniform throughout its length.

It will be understood that diflerent mate rials may be used in theconstruction of posts of this character and that the degree to which theends 5, 6 and 7 are rounded may be varied if desired as may be the exactposition of the pintle 13 with relation to the rounded ends 5, 6 and 7of the individual links. For although I have shown and described aspecific structure and method of forming the same as exemplifying anembodiment of my invention, I do not desire to restrict myself to theexact shape and form of arrangement of parts as various changes may bemade within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making flexible posts comprising forming a plurality oftongued and grooved links substantially rectangular in cross section,assembling the links with the tongues and grooves of adjacent links inregistration, fastening the links by means of pintles passed through theregistering tongues and grooves and altering the shape of the pivotallyconnected links transversely of the lengths of the tongues and'groovesto form a flexible post approximately cylindrical in cross section anduniform throughout its length.

2. The method of making flexible posts comprising forming a tongue and acorresponding groove along opposite longitudinal edges of a bar,dividing said bar transversely of the lengths of the tongue and grooveinto a plurality of links of similar shape, assembling the links withthe tongues and grooves of adjacent links in registra tion, fasteningthe links by means of pintles passed through the registered tongues andgrooves and altering the shape of the piv-v otally connected linkstransversely of the lengths of the tongues and grooves to form aflexible post approximately cylindrical in cross section and uniformthroughout its length. I

3. The method of making flexible posts comprising forming a plurality oftongued and grooved links substantially rectangular in cross section,assembling the links with the tongues and grooves of adjacent links inregistration, providing a plurality of pintles having a portion of oneend less in diameter than the remaining portion of the pintle, fasteningthe links by means of said pintles passedthrough the registering tonguesand grooves, and altering the shape of the pivotally connected linkstransversely. of the lengths of the tongues and grooves to form aflexible post approximately cylindrical in cross section and uniformthroughout its length.

4. The method of making flexible posts comprising forming a tongue and acorresponding groove along opposite longitudinal edges ofa bar ofappropriate material, dividing said bar into a plurality of links ofsimilar shape, assembling the links with the tongues and grooves ofadjacent links in registration, providing a plurality of pintles havinga portion of one end less in ber, 1927.

PAUL O. UNGER.

